Doing Business Blog - The World Bank Group

A Picture Worth A Thousand Words

As part of the on-going Doing Business research on transparency, I have come across very interesting anti-corruption material and web-pages. After surfing many public institutions' sites, I noticed that governments tend to take an arid approach when presenting anti-corruption content. Complicated words, not very dynamic web pages, and weak educational content for their citizen are quite common. This seems to make complete sense considering the seriousness and sensitivity of the topic. But, they always left me wondering if there could be a way of dealing with anti-corruption issues in a more user-friendly manner.

My wondering found a pleasant response while surfing the Anti-Corruption Commission web-page of the Royal Government of Bhutan. More specifically, while browsing through the pages of their last annual bulletin. With an Anti-Corruption Act that was recently approved in 2006, this country seems to be making an important push to ensure the law’s full implementation and overall compliance. What you see here is the poster that accompanied the reminder of the deadline to submit the required asset declaration for public officials.

With Power Comes Accountability

Bugattis paid for in cash at more than 1million Euro a piece. Mansions in Paris. Villas in Nice…

This is not the latest James Bond movie, but the beginning of a long list of properties and bank accounts in the name of five African heads of state and their close relatives. The list of assets was published by Le Monde last week on an investigative expose about an ongoing inquiry by the French Office on Grand Financial Crimes. The presidents of Angola, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Congo, and Guinea are the target of the investigation. The article describes at length how they own a large number of real state properties in some of the nicest and most expensive neighborhoods in Paris and other French cities.

Declaring Assets, Liabilities and Babysitting

Asset and business interest disclosure for policymakers is an area of ongoing research of the Doing Business team. In the course of obtaining information on national legislation, I came across an interesting article on Colorado’s disclosure law for public officials. It is a good illustration of some of the challenges of disclosure legislation and entails useful lessons for both regional and national legislations across the world.

At first glance, the law looks like a textbook example. It requires officeholders to disclose their sources of income, financial assets, real estate, directorships and business interests. The disclosures must be submitted on an annual basis and are made available to the public. Transparency at its best, or so you might think!

Let the Public React

As fighting corruption is heralded as a main panacea of economic development, increased involvement of families in the politics of many countries may, at first blush, appear to increase chances of conflicts of interest. Kaczynski in Poland, Kirchner in Argentina, Abe and Fukuda in Japan. Also, the candidates: Clinton, Royal...

Corruption can be prevented through imposing restrictions, supports one approach. The World Bank, for example, prohibits employment of close relatives. It allows, however, employment of spouses/partners, as long as one of them does not report to the other.

The Doing Business approach to preventing corruption advocates disclosure of

On Transparency Policies and Politics

Ecuador’s Constitutional Assembly was in the news headlines last week. This was not primarily for the new constitution they are debating, but, rather, for the expulsion of one of its members. Opposition leader Alvaro Noboa was expelled for failing to provide his declaration of assets.

The 130 members of the Assembly had until Friday January 11th to submit a declaration of their personal assets as part of the body’s rules. According to Ecuador’s media, Noboa, who is also considered the richest man in the country, was the only member that refused to comply with the obligation. Even his wife, who is also a member of the Assembly, had complied.